David Rowland has just launched his 15th and final book, "The Spirit of Winsome Winn II", all about the B-17 Flying Fortress
which crashed at Patcham after being hit by anti-aircraft fire over Germany. David has had a passionate
interest in how World War Two affected Sussex, since his dramatic childhood in Brighton during
the war years, which is now partly told through 'Coastal Blitz', 'Out
of the Blue', 'Spitfires over Sussex' and 'War in the City', all of which
use rare photographs, newspaper stories, personal recollections and first-hand
experiences to describe those incredible few years and how they effected
the coastline towns including Brighton and Newhaven. 'Spitfires over Sussex'
tells the amazing story of 602 squadron based at Tangmere, and how they
fought to keep the skies clear of enemy aircraft during the Battle of
Britain. His latest book, 'Survivors', tells the incredible stories of
airmen who were shot down and lived to tell the tale.

David Rowland was four when war broke out on September
3rd, 1939. He still has vivid memories of the nights when Brighton burned,
of sleeping in a Morrison shelter, of carrying a gas mask everywhere and
of the many evacuations from the classroom to the air raid shelters outside
Finsbury Road Junior School. He went on to work at Sainsbury's before
and after two year's National Service with the Royal Air Force, and in
1958 he joined the Brighton Borough Police force, where his duties ranged
from beat officer to dog handler, patrol car driver and Police Federation
official. David retired from the Police in 1985 and rejoined the Newhaven
branch of Sainsbury's, and keenly pursues his hobbies of local history,
travel and the American West. David would love to hear from anyone who
has any wartime memories or stories they would like to share.